Love And Marriage

Off-screen Joan’s love life was as colourful as on, including romance with co-star Clark Gable and marriages to two of Hollywood’s heart-throbs, Douglas Fairbanks Jr and Franchot Tone. It was their shared passion for Gable and Tone which reportedly led to the notorious rivalry between Crawford and Bette Davis. A third marriage to actor Phillip Terry ended in divorce in 1946 and she wed Pepsi Cola CEO Alfred Steele in 1955, proving her versatility by turning businesswoman to serve on the board after his death in 1959. The one role Joan longed for – to become a mother – was tinged with tragedy. After several miscarriages she adopted four children – Christina, Christopher and twins Cynthia and Cathy.